In the year of the oil scandal, Malta slips two places down corruption index

Statistics released by Transparency International have seen Malta lose two places in the World's Corruption Index list, sliding yet again for the second consecutive year, down to 45.

Malta now veers dangerously close to the most corrupt countries in the European region, sandwiched between Slovenia and Hungary,

Greece, in its sixth year of recession and crippled by rounds of austerity, managed to climb back to 80th position after falling to 94th place last year.

The 'cleanest' countries in Europe were Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Norway.

Malta's score was collated from specific sources, with points garnered as follows: Bertelsmann Foundation Sustainable Governance (49), ICRG (60), World Economic Forum executives' opinion (54), the Economist Intelligence Unit (54), and Global Insight country risk ratings (63).

Undoubtedly the biggest corruption allegation to have rocked the island in 2013 was MaltaToday's revelations in February on commissions paid by Trafigura and TOTSA to a former chairman of the Mediterranean Oil Bunkering Corporation, as well as the former chairman of Enemalta.

The publication of invoices showing the payments funnelled to petrochemist Frank Sammut led to his arraignment on charges of corruption and bribery, as well as Tancred Tabone, and business partners Anthony Cassar and Francis Portelli. Police investigators also revealed that Sammut and Tabone were silent partners in a Cassar's and Portelli's bunkering firm while still occupying public posts and taking decisions on the state's procurement of fuel.

The story also led to a public accounts committee inquiry that is still ongoing.

Elsewhere in the EU, in 2013 corruption scandals continued unabated. Transparency International cites cases such as the French budget minister resigning after allegations of tax fraud; millions of dollars and piles of gold bars seized from the homes of Czech officials; and a slush fund scandal hitting Spain - replete with Spanish politicians' bags, briefcases and suitcases of stuffed with cash.

"All these continue to undermine public trust in institutions and governments, and raise public awareness that corruption is at the heart of the crisis in some of the world's richest countries," TI said.

In addition to Spain, Portugal and Italy rank lower on the index in 2013 than they did in 2012. Like Spain, they are all in the vortex of the European crisis and appear to be doing little to combat corruption.

Although unlike in the other countries, there has been some progress in Italy, with the approval of the anti-corruption law, the establishment of an independent anti-corruption agency (CiVIT), and moreover, the application of the Law of Severino to 30 cases - including, finally, to Silvio Berlusconi.